Case in point: Lee Cullum is not my favorite journalist, and I think her voice often takes on a scolding tone (my wife thinks I worry about voice too much) — but Cullum has a long and very distinguished career in print and broadcast, especially at our local KERA-TV, channel 13. You’ve probably heard her on PBS’s “The Newshour” or on NPR’s news shows, and if you were lucky, you got to read the Dallas Times-Herald’s editorial pages when she edited it. In addition, the Cullum family in Dallas is big power from wayback. Cullum is well connected in Texas politics. If one doesn’t like what she says, one is obligated to listen. (Here’s a PBS biography of Cullum.)
A bit over a week ago she had a column in the Dallas Morning News discussing the flap over intelligent design at SMU. In the past she’s favored letting ID people get a place at the academic table, but she’s learned, and basically she sorta supported the scientists who warned against ID.
How did the Discovery Institute react? Childish schoolyard taunts. No kidding; go see here, “‘Intellectually confused’ journalist.”
If this is how they treat people of great distinction, it becomes clear why they are so stridently insulting about great science by great people, including great dead people like Darwin. If it was meant to be entertaining, it isn’t; if it was meant to be enlightening, it isn’t that, either. At best it’s rude, at worst it’s a demonstration of the slash-and-burn tactics that an ethically challenged political group uses in desperation.
Somebody call the Discovery Institute and tell them no one is looking to replace “Imus In the Morning’s” stupider insults.
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
They have changed their mantra from teach the controversy to publish the conspiracy. The trouble is, shouting by both sides just feeds the fire. This is like a 5 year Pee Wee Herman movie segment of “I know you are, but what am I?” Neither side has done anything to change people’s hearts and minds.
If SMU faculty wanted to put an end to the controversy then the theologians in the school need to rise up against ID, not the scientist. They need to ask questions, like; where in Genesis does it say God designed anything? The book I read says God spoke the Universe into existence. I would think the theologians would tell ID to stop belittling God.
Frankly, the worst thing that can happen to ID is they are allowed to talk. Michael Behe recently had a chance to defend ID in front of a group of scientist (I’ll have to find the link) and it was pathetic. It was a pathetic 30 minutes of how unfair Judge Jones is, and how unfair the world is and how unfair science is and how unfair …blah blah blah…
ID has nothing to say. Putting them on stage only proves Proverbs, “It is better to be thought of as a fool, than to open you mouth and prove it”
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